The articles and research below discuss alternatives to academic undergraduate degrees. What do you think? Give us your opinion by completing the form below.

Although the decline in the manufacturing economy eliminated many good jobs for high school graduates, there are still 30 million good jobs in the U.S. that pay well without a BA. These good jobs have median earnings of $55,000 and are changing from traditional blue-collar industries to skilled-services industries.

Steven Jordan, Tanner Willman and Jessica White, who have full-time jobs at Northwest Motor Sales & Service in Longview, Washington, all got their start by landing paid internships at the company through a new program administered by Goodwill and Workforce Southwest Washington which helps to give local at-risk youth mentorship and exposure to industrial work skills often needed by employers in the area.

Imagine if worker education issues, such as apprenticeships and job retraining, received anywhere near the attention of “pro-growth” policies such as tax cuts or energy deregulation. Not only might there a better policy framework in place, but also more cultural acceptance of practical skills education vs. “college for all.”

A new report offers an overview of non-degree postsecondary training, with a focus on five categories: certificate programs, work-based training (such as apprenticeships), skills-based short programs (coding boot camps), massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other online microcredentials, and competency-based education programs.

What role do internships, apprenticeships and other credentialing programs play in helping Florida’s future workforce prepare for tomorrow’s job needs? Are these types of programs helping your business meet its workforce needs?